Samsung Galaxy Note II and possibly some Galaxy S3 models could skip Android 4.2 and go straight to the next version

Samsung Galaxy Note II users, along with Galaxy S3 owners, have been waiting rather impatiently for their turn to upgrade to Android 4.2.2, which came pre-installed on the flagship GS4.

Now, it seems as though the company may be moving away from releasing a version of the eight month-old software in favour of waiting for Google’s inevitable Android 4.3 release, which is slated to come to AOSP next week.

Telstra, an Australian network provider with a similar infrastructure to the Canadian incumbents, released a statement on their upgrade page claiming, “Samsung have elected globally to skip the 4.2.2 update for this device and will instead go to a newer version of Android. No schedule has been provided for this update.”

In some ways, this is a good move. Android 4.3 brings OpenGL ES 3.0 support along with standardized Bluetooth LE functionality and a host of other small improvements. Considering some devices, like the Nexus 7, actually dropped in performance from Android 4.1 to 4.2, Samsung may be waiting for Google to fix some underlying code issues before pushing the upgrade trigger.

While this is in no way an official report, the same would seem likely for the Galaxy S3, which is only waiting in limbo for some sort of upgrade news.

I’m more upset about the bugs and security holes than the lost features. 4.1.2 isn’t exactly all roses with the WiFi bug, the clipboard bug, this new Android security hole, etc.

I want, and expect frequent updates to fix bugs and security flaws. This is my first Samsung phone and I love it, but I’m done with Samsung. This phone will last me for a bit, but I won’t trust Samsung with another phone. Customer support doesn’t exist in Samsung’s dictionary. The only thing Samsung knows how to do is keep pushing out more and more devices.